And you think all "Americans" have the same feelings and "cultural tendencies" (whatever that means)? And that you know what those are so you can claim a person's reaction is "predictably American"? Cos that sounds like regular old stereotyping and prejudice to me. And your defense of it above is kind of ridiculous. All it's helping me understand is that you think all Americans think and behave like 16-year-old internet children. Even if that's right (and I don't think it is), pointing that out doesn't help JamesR.

But if you think your own set of prejudices against Americans can help people better understand something other than your own biases, then by all means, continue posting...it seems rather uncharacteristic of your usual calls for respect and understanding, but I guess that call does not hold for Americans discussing other Americans, only Americans discussing foreign ideologies and people. Now that's predictable, but not of "Americans" as a thing, but of a certain mindset.

Dude, you read that so wrong. You noticed I used inclusive words like ours, we, and us? I wasn't trying to be condescending, just honest. As an American, that is my own personal assessment of American culture, and it is quite prevalent. If you feel I am stereotyping Americans, I apologize, I don't feel that way. I am talking about a cultural tendency towards instant-gratification, towards self-asserting thinking. No, I don't think all Americans think like teenagers venting on the internet, but I do indeed think that a common theme of American culture is instant gratification. If anything, how you've just gotten all defensive as if my comments about American culture were directed at you personally is revealing to how this is a cultural trait of being American. I wasn't necessarily talking about you in anyway, and yet you instantly inserted yourself into the equation and began a defensive argument with me. Further, this analysis somehow equates to intolerance or bigotry? Interesting

stay blessed,habte selassie

I don't see you as intolerant or bigoted but have in fact spoken truth when it comes to American culture. The Evidence is out there, just look at marketing of goods and services, fast food, convenient stores, and credit cards, etc. etc. All geared to one thing instant gratification, get it now, buy buy buy culture, if something gets in the way of what you want dump it, that would include spouses, children, jobs, spiritual life, etc.

Very sad way of life you have in America.....!

A friend of mine (Greek) said she lived in America for a couple of years, she said it is all work, work, work..... She couldn't wait to get back to Greece as she said Americans don't know how to enjoy life or the simple things.

If I was to make a new thread about it, would you contribute to it? I'm interested in how work is a biological reality. Perhaps this work you speak of needs a definition, because I see work in a different way.

Logged

“There is your brother, naked, crying, and you stand there confused over the choice of an attractive floor covering.”

Ah, yes, the American Workaholic syndrome. But she does have a valid point that many Americans miss the simple things and pleasures in life. We need to free ourselves from the mundanity of clockwork.

Be honest with yourselves, who truly wants to actually work?

There are two choices:

1. Work less and have less; or2. Work more and have more.

I would not criticise a person for choosing option no. 1, but the Greeks wish to have a third option: work less and have more.

That is not true, there are plenty of Americans who work harder and harder and yet never gain any traction, never "have more" and there are plenty of Americans who by comparison work much less and do indeed have much more. I agree with several posters here, data shows that Americans on average work more hours daily and weekly than any other developed nation, and further, in our largely material society, Americans often work hard and long and yet have piles of material possessions, but do not have solidarity, community, and family. We all seem to work hard, some of us to simply survive, others to stockpile possessions and the expense of spending time with their families and being involved in their communities. This is a cultural matter, not a political or economic one. It largely seems part of American culture to have this exaggerated work ethic, and to have this pride in materialism. Even relatively humble Americans often equate an increase in possessions as being an increase in success. I disagree with that mentality, I feel less is more and more is less, less stuff= more family, more community, more stuff=less community, less family.

Many middle class families work 40-50 hours a week, both parents, and associate with paying their bills for their middleclass lifestyle as being family. Just paying the bills is indeed noble, and many poor folks work too hard and still can't even do that, but paying bills is not all there is too life, it is not all that is important in family.

stay blessed,habte selassie

Logged

"Yet stand aloof from stupid questionings and geneologies and strifes and fightings about law, for they are without benefit and vain." Titus 3:10

Ah, yes, the American Workaholic syndrome. But she does have a valid point that many Americans miss the simple things and pleasures in life. We need to free ourselves from the mundanity of clockwork.

Be honest with yourselves, who truly wants to actually work?

There are two choices:

1. Work less and have less; or2. Work more and have more.

I would not criticise a person for choosing option no. 1, but the Greeks wish to have a third option: work less and have more.

That is not true, there are plenty of Americans who work harder and harder and yet never gain any traction, never "have more" and there are plenty of Americans who by comparison work much less and do indeed have much more. I agree with several posters here, data shows that Americans on average work more hours daily and weekly than any other developed nation, and further, in our largely material society, Americans often work hard and long and yet have piles of material possessions, but do not have solidarity, community, and family. We all seem to work hard, some of us to simply survive, others to stockpile possessions and the expense of spending time with their families and being involved in their communities. This is a cultural matter, not a political or economic one. It largely seems part of American culture to have this exaggerated work ethic, and to have this pride in materialism. Even relatively humble Americans often equate an increase in possessions as being an increase in success. I disagree with that mentality, I feel less is more and more is less, less stuff= more family, more community, more stuff=less community, less family.

Many middle class families work 40-50 hours a week, both parents, and associate with paying their bills for their middleclass lifestyle as being family. Just paying the bills is indeed noble, and many poor folks work too hard and still can't even do that, but paying bills is not all there is too life, it is not all that is important in family.

stay blessed,habte selassie

Habte, you seem to be saying that Americans work very hard and also have lots of material things. That is no different to what I am saying.

All I am saying is that, ceteris paribus, one obtains more material things by labouring -- one does not obtain material things through not labouring, except at the expense of someone else's labouring.

I would not dare to object to your statements regarding other things being more important than material things. I have not suggested otherwise. I don't know how my words could have been construed that way on any sensible construction.

Just a note: our youngest was born at 36 weeks. My brothers were born at 28 weeks. A baby born at 36 weeks has an excellent chance of survival with spontaneous labor. I suspect there is more to this story. At 39 weeks, I wouldbet anything the baby was born alive, then killed.